Which word means relevant to the topic at hand?

• A. pedestrian
• B. pertinent
• C. percent
• D. period

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is finding a word that describes information that directly applies to what you’re discussing. Pertinent captures that sense perfectly: it means relevant, applicable, or fitting to the topic at hand. When something is pertinent, it has a direct bearing on the matter and helps address the issue being considered. For example, in a report about school funding, recent enrollment figures are pertinent because they directly affect budgeting decisions; data about fashion trends would not be as pertinent to funding decisions.

The other words don’t fit this idea of relevance. Pedestrian means ordinary or unremarkable, or it can refer to a person who walks. Percent is a rate per hundred, a numerical concept. Period can mean a span of time, a punctuation mark, or a historical era.